The Comox Valley Pool League is home to some of the best pool players in Western Canada. In February they sent 14 players to the Canadian Cue Sports (CCS) B.C. Championships and everyone came home with a trophy.
The ladies team Ice Breakers took first place and won a spot to play in the CCS Western Championships in Calgary at the end of April. Two of the ladies (Deb Williams and Christy Tipper) that played in the B.C. tourney couldn't make the trip and Danita Daigle and Gloria Lloyd' Jones were next in line to fill their spots. "We went to Calgary with no expectations of winning but went to play our best game and most of all to have fun at the same time," said CVPL founder Rose Kantor.
"There were 17 teams from Western Canada competing and it was a tough start. Our first match we were taken out 9-7 by a Calgary team Mix & Match which put us in the B Division.
"We then played a team out of Edmonton called the Predators and they whooped us 9-4. We were all a little down getting taken out two matches straight and were now on the bottom of the B side with no lives left. We all agreed tomorrow is a new day and woke up ready with positive attitudes, cue in hand and ready to run some racks," Kantor said.
"We got a bye our first match at 9 a.m. so had time to practise and we were all shooting great! Our first match we took the Grasshoppers from Calgary 9-4, then Bent and Twisted from Calgary 9-7, then we came across the Predators again and I must say they thought they were going to whoop our butts again, but we were all on our a game and we tied 8-8.
"This meant a tie-breaker game and all decided that I would play the match. I was very nervous and felt the whole world was on my shoulders. Was the most intense game and I will never forget it. Happy to say I won and we moved on to play for first and second spot," Kantor said.
"Mix & Match was the A side winners and we had to beat them twice. Our first match we got them 9-4 and our second 9-7 to become the CCS Western B Division Champions.
"Throughout this whole event each lady was put in a pressure spot and needed to win for us to continue on, and win is what they did. I'm so proud of all the girls. We played together as a team and supported each other when needed. That's why we are the champs!" said Kantor.
– Comox Valley Pool League